During the traditional commissioning ceremony, Capt. Roy Nash, commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, read the commissioning orders and granted Stockwell permission to assume command of the newly refurbished Coast Guard cutter. The vessel’s commissioning pennant was raised and the 16-person crew conducted a ceremony in which the first watch was set for the ship to be permanently manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Tybee was originally commissioned in 1989 and was homeported on the west coast, but moved to Woods Hole in 2004 to replace the Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy, which is currently serving in the Persian Gulf. In 2005, the Tybee was placed in a special commission status as it underwent a 7.5 million dollar upgrade in Baltimore, Md. Tybee received upgrades to its electronic equipment and generators and underwent structural work on the hull and interior, all of which is intended to extend the life of the vessel for an additional 15 years. More than 30,000 feet of new wiring and cable was installed, and the bridge was reconfigured to increase operational effectiveness.

The Coast Guard Cutter Sanibel, another 110-foot patrol boat, and the Coast Guard Cutter Hammerhead, an 87-foot patrol boat, are also homeported here.